JP3327560B2 - Card, especially chip card reader - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus for reading a card, in particular, a chip card.

Within the scope of the present invention, the term “card” refers to a card with a magnetic track, a memory card (“CAM”),
It must be understood in the broadest sense, such as a "chip" card. It should also be understood that the term "card reader" is generic. It relates to all devices capable of reading and / or writing to cards of the type described above.

Similarly, the application of these cards is very broad, such as bank and other applications, electronic wallets, security badges, and the like. In France, in particular, it is anticipated that “chip” cards, which store a certain amount of medical and / or administrative information, will be offered in a short or medium term to all those who are obliged to join the social security system. is there.

From about twenty years ago, these various types of cards, especially those with "electronic chips", i.e., controllers or microprocessors with storage circuits, have become more prevalent and occupy a more important position in the daily life of individuals. .

International standards define various parameters related to the card, such as dimensions, placement of magnetic tracks, "chips", and I / O interfaces (connections). Then, the computational power of the electronic circuit and the amount of stored information have been significantly increased.

The I / O connection allows two-way transmission between the card and various types of card readers. The card reading device can be a fixed device (cash dispenser or DAB, automatic bank teller or GAB, device incorporated in cash register or microcomputer, etc.) or payment (restaurant, store etc.) or hospital terminal And a card reader attached to a portable device.

These devices have at least one common feature, namely that they have an entry slot or window for inserting a card for the purpose of writing and / or reading operations. This slot is provided directly in the outer area and is large enough to allow small metal objects such as paper clips, or more simply small pieces or powder, to enter the interior of the card reader housing. have. The more the portable reader is unprotected from the beginning and is easily transported to various locations, the easier and therefore more frequent the introduction of these elements.

By the way, a card reader has very small electronic circuits and mechanical parts. Thus, objects and contaminating particles can cause dysfunction and further damage these components and circuits.

Devices of the type described above, especially portable devices, or at least portable devices, have other disadvantages.

First, the overall ergonomics of these devices has not been optimized. In particular, card readers of the type that can be put in a pocket of clothing must be as thin as possible and have the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. When placed on a desk, it is relatively difficult to insert a card into a slot, and access to keyboard keys is not optimized.

Second, the user may forget to remove the card relatively frequently after use, especially after entering the PIN using the keyboard. In particular, if the card reader is provided with a cover, the card remains inside the card reader without being known to the owner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for reading cards, in particular chip cards, which obviates, in part, the disadvantages of the apparatus according to the known technique which has been repeatedly described.

To this end, the card reader according to the present invention with a cover for protecting the keys of the keyboard and the display member is provided with a bend or flap integral with the cover for covering the introduction slot when the device is not in use.
bat), thereby prohibiting the introduction of unwanted elements into the interior of the device, even if the device is placed in a contaminated environment.

In one preferred variant of the invention, the card reader is provided with a shape that can be provided to the user in an inclined position, which makes the input operation of the security code easier, in particular. Become.

Again, in one preferred variant embodiment, an arrangement is provided for not allowing the flap to be in the closed position as long as the card is present in the device, thereby prohibiting closing the device without removing the card. You.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is provided with data input means and display means, a slot for introducing the card into the housing, and a cover capable of protecting the data input means and display means in the closed position. A reading device for a card, especially a chip card, having a housing. The feature is that it has a flap fixed to the cover and arranged to cover the introduction slot when the cover is in the closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will emerge from a reading of the description given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. In the accompanying drawings, FIG. 1 is a top view of a card reader according to an embodiment of the present invention in a closed position, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same card reader in a semi-open state as viewed from obliquely above. FIG. 3 shows the card reader in the open position,
Fig. 4 is a rear view of one of the chip cards in an insertion process, Fig. 4 is a rear view of the card reader of Fig. 1 in a closed position, and Fig. 5 is a card placed on a surface and in an open position. 6 and 7 are perspective and rear views of a modified embodiment of the card reader according to the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the card reader according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed diagram showing functions.

Here, an embodiment of a card reading device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 1 (top view) shows the card reader 1 in the closed position, and FIG. 2 (perspective view from obliquely above) shows the same card reader in a position called semi-open. In fact, the housing 10 of the card reader is
A cover or protective cover 2 is provided. This protective cover 2
Is attached to the housing 10 by the hinge joint 3 arranged along the wall of the housing 10. More precisely, this joint consists of double hinges 30, 31, whose function and role are described in more detail below.

Normally, the card reader has a display member 4 provided with a liquid crystal in many cases and a data input member composed of keys 50 (alphanumeric keys and function keys) of a keyboard 5. In the described embodiment, the protective cover 2 completely covers the keyboard 5 and the display 4 in its closed position.

As already mentioned, the joint 3 has two hinges.
A first mechanically connecting the housing 10 to the first end of the intermediate part 32;
The hinge 30 and the second end of this intermediate part 32 are
The second hinge 31 is mechanically connected to the second hinge 31.

The intermediate part 32 has the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, the width of which is half the width of the wall (shown in FIG. 2) of the housing 10 to which it is attached via the hinge 30. be equivalent to. The hinge 30 is parallel to the edge of the side surface of the housing 10, located in the middle level of the mounting wall, along the axis delta ₁ housing
Attached to 10.

These arrangements, on the one hand to allow the rotation of the axis delta ₁ around the intermediate part 32, on the other hand to allow rotation of the first axis and parallel to the axis delta ₂ around the protective cover 2. As a result, the protective cover 2 can be bent under the housing 10 of the card reader 1 in the fully open position. The cover 2 is held in the closed position by one latch (not shown) (FIG. 1).

To ensure these ideas, the cover 2 can be made of a rigid plastic material. Preferably, the intermediate band 32 is a rigid material, such as a rigid plastic material.

According to a first variant embodiment (not shown), the cover 2
Is mechanically connected to the housing 10 by a coupling member made of a plastic material band, and the band is bent at the weak region due to a weak region (for example, a groove) provided in the band. Thus, this band acts as the double hinge 3 described above, allowing the cover 2 to fold under the housing 10 as described above.

According to a second alternative embodiment (not shown), the double hinge 3 has been replaced by a joint element consisting of a single band made of a flexible material. As a result, this band also plays the role of the double hinge 3 described above, allowing the cover 2 to be folded and bent under the housing 10 as described above.

According to a first important characteristic of the invention, the card reader 1 has a movable mask or flap 6 with a flat shape. The cover 2 is also substantially flat. From FIG. 2, the shape of the flap 6 can be understood. The planes formed by the cover 2 and the flap 6 are substantially perpendicular to each other.

FIG. 3 shows the card reader 1 in the fully open position (perspective view from the back). In FIG. 3,
Also shown is a card 7 with a chip 70, which can be of a conventional type per se and still be used within the scope of the invention. FIG. 3 also shows an insertion window or slot 8 for inserting the card 7 into the housing 10, which is intended for reading and / or writing. In order to facilitate the above-described insertion, a lower table 11 may be extended from the rear surface of the housing 10 to serve as a guide for the insertion operation and to hold the card 7 after being inserted.

FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the card reader, in which the protective cover 2 is completely closed. In this state, the protective cover 2 covers the keyboard 5 and the display member 4.
Similarly, it can be seen that, according to an important feature of the invention, the flap 6 completely covers the slot 8, thus preventing the introduction of various objects and particles.

Originally, the flap 6 is made of a rigid material, such as a plastic material, but it is also conceivable that a soft material, such as rubber, which can be adapted to the exact shape of the wall with the introduction slot 8, can likewise be realized.

 Here, other advantages of the present invention will be described in detail.

First, in one preferred embodiment of the invention, the protective cover 2 is provided by a special arrangement applied as a system of hinges or coupling members functioning in a supplementary embodiment.
Can be completely bent under the housing 10. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3 and more clearly seen in FIG. 5 (side view), since the flap 6 is integral with the cover 2, when the cover 2 is fully opened, Follow the process. Similarly, the flap 6 is
At the level of the slot 8 of the reader, there is twice the thickness of the housing 10 of the card reader 1. If the card reader 1 is placed on a flat surface (for example, a practitioner's desk B), the flap 6 serves as a support leg at the level of the slot 8. The housing 10 of the card reader 1 is placed in an inclined state (with respect to the plane of the desk B).
Make an angle of about 15 to 20 degrees).
Into the slot 8 (on the back in the example shown) and access to the keyboard 5 (e.g. for the patient to enter his PIN code). The display of data can also be perceived better (improvement of the incident angle).

Second, when the card 7 is in the slot 8, the cover 2 cannot be closed. In fact, in one preferred embodiment, the depth of the insertion slot 8 is
Shorter than the maximum length of As a result, even if the card 7 is normally inserted into the slot 8 of the card reader, the card 7 will protrude from the housing 10, which hinders normal reading and / or writing operations. There is no. To ensure these ideas, the overhang length should be about 2 cm. If the chip card 7 is present, the cover presses the card 7
The user of the card reader 1 cannot close the card reader 1. Therefore, the card 7 has to be removed and returned to the owner.

In the above-described modified embodiment, the double hinge 3 or a member performing the function thereof is disposed on the right or left side of the housing 10. In this arrangement, one disadvantage still persists, as shown schematically in FIG. As a matter of fact, when the cover 2 is closed, and if the card 7 remains inserted in the slot 8, the cover 2 acts to cut, so that the cover 2 exerts a shearing force on the end 71 of the card 7. Add.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, in one supplementary variant, instead of providing a double hinged joint on the long side of the housing of the card reader, the double hinge is provided by the housing. There are ten so-called "fronts", ie on the short sides.

6 and 7, the card reader is labeled 1 'and the double hinge joint is labeled 3'. Applications that are common to the preceding figures are given the same reference numbers,
It will not be described again unless necessary.

In this arrangement, if the double hinge joint 3 ′ is located at the front of the housing 10, when closing the flap 6 irrespective of the presence of the card 7 in the slot 8 of the reader (No. 6), the flap 6
Collides with the full width of the card 7. Even if you do, the flap will not be able to damage the card 7.

Furthermore, it is advantageous if a switch or similar mechanism 9 actuated by the flap 6 is provided on the housing 10. This switch 9 is located on the wall with the introduction slot 8 of the card 7 and when the flap 6 is in the fully closed position, the housing 10
The electrical energy supply of the electronic circuits (not shown) present therein is interrupted and this supply is automatically resumed when the cover 2 is opened and thus the flap 6 is moved.

While the switch 9 is not explicitly shown in FIGS. 1 to 6, the above-described advantageous arrangement is, of course, compatible with the first embodiment described in FIGS. 1 to 6.

In some applications, it is not necessary to return the card 7 to the owner after use, and the card 7 may be left in the slot 8 of the reader without any inconvenience. Conversely, in this type of application, it may be advantageous to store the card inside the slot 8 of the reader. To this end, a slot 8 is provided which is deep enough to completely "swallow" the card 7. In other words, the length of the slot 8 needs to be at least equal to the maximum length of the card 7. The card 7 remains in the slot 8 of the reader and is protected. Actually, when the cover 2 is closed,
Slot 8 is closed by flap 6 and housing 10 serves as a protective container.

From the above description, it can be easily confirmed that the present invention achieves the set purpose well.

When the card reader is not in use and the cover is closed, the presence of the flap will cause all unwanted elements, especially small metal objects such as clips, and various powders and particles, Generally speaking, the introduction of all elements that are dangerous for the good functioning of the card reader is prohibited.

In addition, the ergonomics is achieved by the "support leg" function provided by the flap when the shroud is fully opened, as the housing is in an inclined state.

And according to a first variant embodiment, the flap is
According to a second variant embodiment, the card is forbidden from remaining inside the housing when the cover is closed, or, conversely,
When the slot in the reader is deep enough to allow the card to be fully inserted inside the housing, the flaps prevent the entry of similarly dangerous elements for the card (especially for its chips), Together with forming a protective container for this card.

However, it is clear that the invention is not limited to only the explicitly described embodiments, especially in connection with FIGS. 1 to 8.

The materials available will depend essentially on the application being specifically considered, and may be a simple technical choice within the scope available to those skilled in the art.

Similarly, the terms "lower", "upper", "front", "side" or "rear" with respect to the housing are purely free. That is, the introduction slot of the card may be located anywhere on the side wall, rather than being located on the back as previously described. It is sufficient if the flap is arranged to close this slot with respect to the cover when the cover is closed.

The invention is not limited to applications using chip cards. On the contrary, the card is a magnetic card,
Any type of card, such as a hybrid card (chip and magnetic track), a piezo electric effect card, etc., may be used.

In addition, the card reader is a calculator, accessible based on keyboard keys and display,
It may be one that contributes to supplementary functions such as an electronic calendar.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H05K 5/03 G06F 17/40 G06K 13/06 G06K 17/00

Claims (9)

(57) [Claims] An enclosure comprising a plurality of walls; a first of the plurality of walls comprising a keyboard and a display; and a plurality of slots comprising a slot configured to receive a card inserted therein. A second wall of the wall, a piece of cover attached to the housing, the cover being removably disposed in a closed position and a released position, and protecting the keyboard and the display in the closed position; A card reader comprising a flap secured to the cover, wherein the flap covers the slot for insertion when the cover is in a closed position, and wherein the cover is in the open position when the cover is in a released position. It is characterized in that it is folded under the housing and the flaps form support legs which tilt the housing at a predetermined angle with respect to the plane of the table (B). Card reader to. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said flap and said cover are substantially flat, and the surfaces formed by said flap and said cover are substantially perpendicular to each other. 3. The cover, when in the closed position, is mechanically connected to the housing by a coupling member that allows the cover to cover the housing, wherein in the open position, The device of claim 1, wherein a flap is folded under the housing to form the retaining leg. 4. The coupling member is a rectangular parallelepiped element of a predetermined width having a first hinge at a first end and a second hinge parallel to the first hinge at a second end. 2. The constructed double hinge, wherein the first hinge mechanically connects the cover to the rectangular parallelepiped element and the second hinge connects the cover to the housing. The described device. 5. The housing also has the shape of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, the rectangular parallelepiped elements being strips of rigid material having a width equal to half the width of the side walls. And the first hinge is centered along this wall so that the cover is folded under the housing when in the open position and the flap serves as a support leg on the surface of the pedestal (B). The device according to claim 1, wherein the device is fixed at a part. 6. The introduction slot has a depth less than the maximum length of the card so that the flap is obstructed and the cover cannot be located in the closed position as long as the card remains inside the introduction slot. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising: 7. When the housing and the flap are in the closed position, the presence of the card in the introduction slot does not interfere with the closing of the cover, and the housing is a protective container for the card. The introduction slot,
The apparatus of claim 1, having a depth at least equal to a maximum length of the card. 8. The housing according to claim 1, wherein a table for guiding a card when the card is inserted into the introduction slot is extended on a wall provided with the introduction slot. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. 9. A housing having a switch on a wall provided with the introduction slot, wherein the switch cuts off or resumes supply of electronic energy of an electronic circuit present in the housing. 9. Apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, operated by a.